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At ¹û¶³Ó°Ôº, twenty-five years ago , and cloned a sensory neuronÌý ATP receptor (P2X3) and showed it had a role to play in pain pathways using knock-out mice (1). This fitted well with the research of , then Head of DepartmentÌýof Anatomy, on purines as signalling molecules (2).Ìý P2X3 antagonists were developed for the clinic and pleasingly, a first in class drug was named after Geoff – Gefapixant, by Merck.Ìý Now this drug has been released in Japan as Lyfnua, where it is used to treat chronic cough. Other potential indications in neuropathic pain are being explored. This is a good example of translation from basic science (3).Ìý Further analgesic drugs focused on Nav1.8, a key sodium channel in human pain cloned by the same team, are expected in 2023.

1. Chen CC, Akopian AN, Sivilotti L, Colquhoun D, Burnstock G, Wood JN. ÌýNature. 1995 Oct 5;377(6548):428-31. doi: 10.1038/377428a0. PMID: 7566119
2. Wood JN. ÌýAuton Neurosci. 2022 Jan;237:102902.